	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

BNP PARIBAS MASTERS PARIS

November 3, 2016

Richard Gasquet

Paris, France

J. SOCK/R. Gasquet

6-2, 3-6, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. The first set went bad. You didn't start well. Then you caught up with him. The end was frustrating.
RICHARD GASQUET: Well, with him, on every point you have to run really fast. He's hitting hard on every shot. If you try to control the ball and not play too hard, you're lost.

I was not able to put up with his pace. It was tough in the beginning of the match.

After, in the second set, I was able to break him and I started playing well in the third set, too. I was up 40-Love, and I was not too lucky with those two games. I was up 40-Love, a let ball went out, and then he played a very good game. At 3-All he didn't play so well but at 4-3 he played really good with a passing shot. At 5-All he was a bit tense at Love-30, and he was able to play four first serves very good.

He played very well. I would have needed two or three more points and I would have won that match, but he's always frustrating. There was very little difference between him and me, but he played extremely well. There's nothing to say about his game.

Q. Frustrating is a word that applies to your whole year. What do you think?
RICHARD GASQUET: Well, this match is frustrating, yes. But for the whole year? I believe my ranking is incredible because I didn't play in January. In March, as I didn't play in January, I was not playing well. Until Wimbledon it was okay, but after I stopped for six weeks, until China, I was not playing well.

The end of season was good. But I had two major injuries during the year that prevented me from doing a good year. But I'm top 20. Given my injuries, it's a good thing.

Q. Here at the draw, it was a bit more open than usual. So you're even more disappointed?
RICHARD GASQUET: Well, that's tennis. He's gonna be among the top 10 very soon, I guess. He plays extremely well. He's gifted. I'm sure he can go far in this tournament.

I'm disappointed that I lost, of course, but that's the way it is.

Q. Are there things you want to change or can change during the winter for preserving your health and not having a pain in the back anymore?
RICHARD GASQUET: You can always try to change things. There is 15 years of career behind me. It's more difficult now than when I was 20 years old. But I do have a break now, and I will practice every day, work with a physio, go to Barcelona and workout. Of course you can change some things.

During the past six weeks things went well. I had no problems. So if I am able to keep that going, I will be at my best level again.

If I keep that level of game without getting injured, I am closer to the top 10 than to the top 20, for sure.

Q. Your back is hurting when you serve. Can you change something in your game?
RICHARD GASQUET: If I change my backhand, I can go back and play the challengers.

So it's difficult. I had to stop for a long time this season, but I'm working a lot, trying to improve that. Since Wimbledon I had no pain, so things are better. This is the condition for me to play at the highest level.

Because if I have to stop playing like I did this year, I will remain among the top 20. You can come back next year, and I'll be at the same place.

But I'm very motivated. I think there are solutions, things I can try. I'm going to work hard during the break to be ready for Australia.

I think in 2017 I can do some good things. I think I still have some years ahead of me to play good tournaments.

Q. What do you think Thierry can bring to you?
RICHARD GASQUET: With Sergi, I try to improve my returns on the second serve and serve better. These are the two important things I have to improve. I need to serve better and be more aggressive on the second serve.

I see mainly those two things to improve, and I'll have to work hard not to get injured anymore.

Q. But what about Thierry Champion?
RICHARD GASQUET: Well, the same. The best players play those two shots a lot better. This is how I can improve. I'm going to work on those shots with Sergi.

But now I'm playing at a good level, I believe. I'm not injured. I'm ready to work extremely hard during the break so that in 2017 I'll be 100%. I want to have a good year next year. So if things go well, I believe I can have a very good year next year.

Q. With Thierry, do you think he's gonna come with you in Barcelona?
RICHARD GASQUET: I will have Sergi in Barcelona, I'll start with him, and then we will see how things are gonna happen.

I'll rest, improve the physical condition.

Q. What do you think about the atmosphere here? The crowd was supporting you. Did you feel that?
RICHARD GASQUET: Yes. It's always very pleasing. The crowd is supporting me. The only thing I needed was to win that match.

I gave it 100%, although I didn't start the match very well, and the third set was quite frustrating because there was very little difference between the two.

Q. About the crowd again, Stan was complaining about being disturbed. Were you disturbed by maybe the crowd that was talking or making noise?
RICHARD GASQUET: No, I wasn't. But if Stan was hearing people talking, he was right to get upset, because it is very bothering. Personally, I didn't have that problem, but if he had that problem, I mean, he was right to complain, because it is disturbing.

Q. With age, your goals change. At 25 you might want to have a higher ranking. What are you dreaming about now, 30 years old?
RICHARD GASQUET: The first goal is already to be 100% for each tournament. This year it was not the case, because I was injured quite often. At the US Open or Davis Cup I was not in good shape.

This is what is tougher, a problem I didn't have when I was 25. But when I am 100%, I know I can do very good things, like in Wimbledon.

I'm confident. I think I will be able to go into a semifinal in a Grand Slam. I'm able to do that. It's up to me to do sufficient work and give it 100%.

And Davis Cup, of course, is a priority. We have been talking about it year after year. It would be a good thing to make it.

Q. About this break coming up, you said you were going to Barcelona. Did Sergi tell you exactly what you're going to do? Are you going to run in the mountains?
RICHARD GASQUET: No. Playing most of the time, hitting the ball right and left, not making any errors, to have that rhythm that the top players have.

I'm 30 or 31. I'm not going to run in the mountains now. What I need is to be on the court and play with good players and have a good rhythm, because Sock is a very fast player. He hits very hard, and you need to be in very good shape for that.

So it's up to me to practice well, and day after day I need to feel that in tennis and physically I can do well. I had been able to do that in the last years.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297